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My win is I haven't had Red Bull or either type of energy drink for a week and I don't even miss them! I'm sleeping better as a result. It was a vicious cycle, couldn't get enough sleep, needed large amounts of caffeine, couldn't get enough sleep!

Remember the first week is always the hardest on the liquid diet. I didn’t do it for my surgery but I did it myself a couple of time to try to lose weight before I ever thought about surgery. Maybe be a little more gentle on yourself and give your body time to get used to the reduced calories, low/no carbs, and whatever else has been cut from your usual diet like sugar & caffeine & your body used to rely on. The spring cleaning jobs will still be there & who cares if it takes you longer to get through them. (Mine are still there from last year 😂.)

I know at our local gym, the ‘gym bunnies’ actually annoy the other users, both male and female. Most people are there just doing their own thing and don’t want to have to deal with those who are there for ‘show’ and spend silly amounts of time on their phones while holding up the machines. Taking photos is banned, thankfully, because I think that would be my undoing. Everyone has to start somewhere…those people who seem really confident and seem to know what they’re doing most probably felt just the same when they first started! I when I was a regular I would throw on a pair of headphones, get my gym playlist going, and crack on. I have to say that I am the worlds sweatiest, most unattractive woman when I finish my workout but I’m buzzing and it helps my mental health like you wouldn’t believe. We are rejoining the gym at the beginning of September and I’m so looking forward to it. Well done on taking that first step! Hopefully the gym will distract you from the diet and both will work in tandem for you in readiness for your October surgery. YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!

I have lived here all 46 years of my life, and half the time I don't understand how the system works, either lol

Here in America, we have Medicaid, which is tax payer and government funded. They make you jump through a lot of hoops to get the surgery approved, but once it is, you still only have 2, or in rare cases, 3 weeks of pre-op dieting. I really feel for you. So they want you to lose 27 pounds in 3 months. That's 9 pounds per month or 2.25 pounds per week. That's actually VERY doable!!! And you still have plenty of time. I know you can do it. You got this!!!

Wow!! Congrats. You look great, and I’m sure you feel great too! This is a big accomplishment and you have a lot to be proud of.

If you’re losing inches it sounds like you’re putting on muscle 🙂 The best way to describe it is that a lb of muscle takes up less space than a lb of fat, plus muscle burns calories for longer too so additional benefits - yay! I would suggest carrying on with what you’re doing currently and just keeping an eye by tracking your measurements until you feel comfortable in what you’re doing. Your body is getting used to your current changes in upping your calorie intake and is probably thanking you for adding additional fuel while you work out!

Ahhh, the lovely tier 3 programme! It took an absolute age just to even be considered for that to begin with, I really feel for you. Then the added issue of thinking you would be aiming for a certain month or period of the year, to then be told last minute it's being pushed back, again and again, is genuinely the worst of it. Being completely honest too, as someone who is self-employed, I just don't earn enough regularly to commit to paying it per month. I was working 6/7 days a week between two jobs and I was barely earning more than 22-ish thousand a year salary until the end of last year. I do have the comfort of earning a little bit more now, but only in the right seasons unfortunately. I did put in a complaint yesterday to PALS, and they very quickly responded which was good of them, but it was conveniently not the woman who caused the stress to begin with. They've 'provisionally' (and I use that loosely!) let me know the 28th of March could work depending on how many others they have to schedule. Just a waiting game I suppose. Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it x

Happy to have you!!! I have been overweight most of my life, my first diet was at 12 with Weight Watchers because mom kept telling me that If I lost 20lbs I would be so pretty (it was never about health). My dad would tell me that I would never have a boyfriend because I was fat or I would struggle with acceptance because of my weight. I did not have my first relationship until I was 20 because of my self poor image ( I was about 240lbs at this point). Ended up marrying him and he was the most emotionally, verbally, sexually, physically and mentally abusive human being. We moved across the country and that's when the abuse got worse. He would degrade me and tell me no on would want me because I was disgusting and he had to imagine other women while we were intimate. We ended up having a daughter together and she was the best thing that's ever happened to me, but after 10 long years I left with my daughter when she was 18months! When I finally left I was 325lbs. Since then It opened me to a whole new world opened up for me and my daughter. I was able to focus on just us and my health was something that I needed to control- I started working out, eating right and got down to 240lbs met the love of my life and now I have happy weight. He is the best thing that has every happened to my daughter and I. Her bio-dad is not in her life, and we ended up having a son together and I shot back up to 297lbs. After some health scares with my family I decided WLS is the way to go!! I am set to have the Sleeve on the 24th!

Some PCPs may lack people skills, but most are trying to impress upon their obese patients the importance of losing weight (diseases, shortened life expectancy, mental health, etc.) based upon their first hand knowledge and experience. A PCP should not say "You fat (bleep), why don't you put the fork down some time and go for a walk!" -That would be cruel, unprofessional and unsupportive. They could say "According to the weight/height charts, you should try to grow 4 feet taller". My PCP encouraged me to lose weight in a positive way by suggesting dieting, offering advice on losing weight and over time, eventually entertaining the thought of bariatric surgery. She is a consummate doctor, has great people skills, is very caring and THANKFULLY, has a small index finger (guys know what I mean).